


Kaeru Basho

by fragilespark



Category: Final Fantasy VIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Crossover, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-25
Updated: 2006-10-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 15:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5296865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilespark/pseuds/fragilespark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leon returns to the place he once called home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kaeru Basho

**Author's Note:**

> Unfinished.

Leon awoke to the feel of sand beneath him. He slowly looked up to see a beach - he didn't really register where he was. All he knew was that he had been dragged from Hollow Bastion by a force he didn't understand - it was probably the same force that had connected the various worlds Sora usually travelled between. He sighed and stretched out, moving to sit up. As he peered from beneath his bangs, he couldn't escape the feeling that he knew this place. He gasped with a start - he did know this place. Eyes widening, he realised that it had once been his home. Could it be that his world was now free of darkness? Standing up and brushing the sand off him, his heart felt tight with an urgent feeling he was not prepared for. He could only stare in wonder at the orphanage further inland. He walked automatically towards it, trying to remember when he had last seen it. Yes, the Heartless had invaded. The thought made a sad look cross his face.

"Please don't tell me I'm here alone," he whispered. As he neared the decaying building, his heart almost stopped in shock at hearing an excited female voice.

"We really kicked ass today!!" It was Selphie. His friends were alive? His mouth agape, he slowly stepped forward. But nothing could prepare him for the sight of an auburn haired teenager, with a scar on his face.

"What the fuck!?" Seifer's exclamation snapped up everyone's attention. There were immediate gasps and mutters joining his. Leon wasn't surprised to be facing the sharp end of Hyperion. "Who the fuck are you?" However, Leon was staring at his past self, and Squall was staring right back, a picture of complete open-mouthed wonder. "Hey! I said who are you?"

"I'm..." how to explain? "This is, when am I?" Leon had expected, at worst, a world full of Heartless; at best, to be reunited with his friends. However, he seemed to have been transported to his own past. Two Squalls - no wonder everyone was suspicious. Everyone except the one who should be.

"Wait," Squall said quietly to the blonde, while gazing at Leon. An impostor would have looked too similar.

"I don't know how to explain myself so that you believe me, but... I'm..." Squall? Leon? "Squall. From the future," he added quickly, "Older. Hell, I'm just as confused as you are! I don't know why I'm here." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, aware now of how long it was.

"You're from the future?" Quistis gasped. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

"No way!!" Leon looked at Zell. By the look of his friends, it didn't seem too long ago that they had defeated the Sorceress together. The details were fuzzy in his mind, however. Had it really been almost a decade?

"So what are you doing here?" continued the overly suspicious Seifer.

"I don't know," he said, while a thought formed in his mind, "I'm not sure how I got here, but there's a small chance, others may be here as well. From the world I was in, I mean."

The group started voicing their disbelief. Leon met the calm gaze of his younger self. Was talking to himself going to make the universe implode? He decided to take the risk. After all, he had been doing it his whole life. "Will you help me?"

Squall nodded with his reply. "I believe you." Leon smiled. If there was one person he could truly count on and wordlessly understand, it was himself. It seemed that Squall shared the very same thought.

"Whoa, what the hell!?" Irvine walked in and renewed the feeling of shock in the air.

"It's alright, Irvy! It's Squall from the future!"

Irvine was trying to process this. Eventually, he repeated "...Squall. From the future..."

"...Leon."

"Huh?"

"That's what I call myself now. Leon."

"Well," smirked Seifer, finally relaxing. "It'll certainly make it easier to deal with you two pretty boys. Reached puberty yet, 'Leon'?"

"Yeah..." he smiled. "Way ahead of you." He was home.

 

The group were now discussing Leon's statement that there might be others from his world. He jumped suddenly in alarm. "No! What if Heartless find their way!?" Standing up ungracefully, he gestured impatiently into the air. "Monsters. The ones who attacked..."

"Hey, calm down, we need to figure out where to start-"

"No! You need to contact people right away! We need to get rid of them at once!" His happiness at seeing his friends was smashed by the fear of reliving the destruction of their lives and their world. He stood, agitated, not knowing where to turn.

Squall stood up and took a phone out of his pocket. "I'm going to call Laguna." He walked off as he made the call.

"Oh, we should ask for sightings, right? I'll ring Trabia." Soon everyone was involved in seeking out information. Leon looked around and felt the panic lessen slightly. He was with people he could trust, but he was still frightened for their safety.

"Laguna will call me back. I've told him about you. He's taken it... rather well."

"Yeah?" Leon warmed to the indescribable feeling in his chest. He could see his father again.

After a while, they were all waiting for return calls. It seemed that nobody had seen or heard anything. The first hastily answered calls confirmed this. Then Squall's phone rang.

"Squall here... oh- I see. It must be what he was talking about. We'll be right there." He clicked his phone shut. "There are some... things they've never seen before, in the city. Let's go."

The group made a few preparations before they left, but there was not much to be done as the orphanage was still in its broken state. They only stored basic supplies there. Besides, they would fully prepare themselves in the Ragnarok, which was waiting close by. As they walked in its direction, Leon looked back at the orphanage, the beach, the lighthouse, not knowing if he would ever come back. He was grateful for this chance of reinforcing his memories. He would never forget. Turning back towards the airship, he stared in wonder at it. Memories started to come back to him.

"Where's Rinoa?"

"Oh, she doesn't really hang out with us any more - she's trying to research seriously into her powers. Might as well get all the info about sorceresses while we've got a friendly one." Selphie paused, "Don't you remember all this?"

"Yeah, kind of..." He watched as Irvine opened the entrance to the Ragnarok. As they waited to access it, Leon's gaze was caught by a black figure in the distance. Tensing with dread, he squinted to see more detail. He recognised the shock of blond hair and his lips parted in surprise. His friends turned around to see what he was looking at. The figure drew closer slowly, and Leon started running away from the airship to meet it. "Cloud!?" he called.

On recognising his ally, Cloud jogged towards him, a clearly questioning look in his eyes. "Hey. You alright?" Leon nodded. "Where are we?"

"We're... in my old world. But there's- it's in the past. There's another me." he pointed towards the cluster of people around the Ragnarok. "We're just about to go - I think there's Heartless here." Cloud nodded and walked with Leon to the airship. The others hesitated in getting on, curious as to who the newcomer was. "Get in. I'll explain on the way."


End file.
